My daughter Natalie had scoliosis surgery in 2013, when she was 14 years old. We spent a lot of time preparing her for the surgery (which you can read about here). I credit this prep work we did to her speedy recovery. However, I wasn’t just about to sit back and relax after the scoliosis surgery was over! We also did a lot of things to help her recover faster and manage the pain.

This article is part of a series on treating scoliosis. In this article about scoliosis surgery recovery, we will talk about:

Bone healing

Scar repair

Pain management

Getting back to normal life

Living with a scar

I also want to say that I am very proud of my daughter for bravely sharing her scoliosis surgery pictures. Hopefully, they can help others who are going through the same experience understand what to expect and that they aren’t alone.

Bone Healing

It would be an understatement to say that scoliosis surgery is a big deal. It is a HUGE deal and your body is going to go through a major trauma which it will have to recover from.

On a positive note, our bodies are really amazing and have incredible healing abilities. But that doesn’t mean you should just leave it all up to your body. You can speed up bone healing (and muscle and tissue healing) by optimizing nutrition.

I find it ironic that hospital food is so notoriously bad, because hospitals are places where nutrition really matters most. After a major surgery like scoliosis spinal fusion, your body needs nutrients to heal itself. Hospital food just isn’t going to cut it! Dump the hospital food and smuggle in good food. I also asked for kosher meals instead of the regular meals because I realized they were better quality, albeit low in fat (I had friends bring us avocados and a bottle of high quality olive oil to make up for it).

You won’t be able to eat much/hold down food easily for the few days after scoliosis surgery. So, a liquid diet is best. I smuggled in jugs of bone broth to give Natalie to help her recovery go faster and put collagen in her herbal tea. As soon as Natalie was able to eat, I had her eating lots of gelatin gummies and organ meat. My goal was to maximize the nutrition in every bite.

Bone Broth:

Bone broth is made by boiling down the bones and connective tissues of animals (read how to make bone broth here). The nutrients from the bones get into the liquid. It is a fantastic source of the amino acids glycine and proline, cartilage, bone marrow, and minerals like calcium and magnesium.

It shouldn’t be surprising that something made from bones will be good for your bones. This is what you need after scoliosis surgery! The more, the better. There are also numerous other benefits of drinking bone broth after surgery:

Reduce inflammation (which will in turn reduce pain)

Inhibits infection

Promotes healthy digestion

Helps heal muscles and connective tissues as well as bones

Gelatin

Real gelatin is just cooked collagen. When you make bone broth, it will contain gelatin. If you don’t want to make your own bone broth (it is easy, I promise!) or are worried that your kid won’t drink it, then you can buy high quality bone broth or supplement with gelatin instead.

Don’t buy those packets of gelatin in the store. They are chemically made and won’t provide any benefits. But you can buy real gelatin powders and use it to make your own gummy treats (here is a recipe) or just mix a spoonful into a smoothie. I like this brand of gelatin.

*I’m such a big fan of gelatin that I even wrote a book about it (which was partly inspired by our experience with scoliosis surgery). It is called The Gelatin Secret, and you can get it here.

Organ Meat

In the Western world, most of us eat just the muscle meat and throw away all the organ meat. By doing that, we’re tossing some key nutrients in the process. Organ meat is the healthiest part of an animal as far as nutrient density goes. Your child is definitely going to need these nutrients after scoliosis surgery to help get energy back and recover faster.

I have a couple recipes for kids who might not be so keen about the idea of eating organ meat. I’ve not the biggest fan of the taste of liver so it’s not just the kids I have to sneak it in for. 🙂

If you’re feeling brave, try my friend Liz’s raw liver shot (recipe here). I couldn’t quite handle it as a shot alone but, when you add it to a smoothie, it goes unnoticeable – I promise!

Scar Repair

One of the things that Natalie was worried about with her scoliosis surgery is that she’d have a big noticeable scar on her back for the rest of her life. Yes, she does have a scar – but it isn’t as noticeable as it could have been and the doctor and his team did an amazing job. We took steps to help repair the surgery incision so the scar would heal up faster and better.

Here are some of the things you can do:

No sun for 6 months: When the skin is healing, it is VERY sensitive to the sun. If healing skin is exposed to sunlight, it can easily get burned and become a much darker color. The sun will also make the scar thicker so it is more conspicuous. It is really important that the scar remains covered for at least 6 months after the surgery to minimize it. (Source)

Keep the scar hydrated: If the wound gets dried out, it might shrivel up and not have any tissue to hang on to, so it will fall off prematurely. You must keep the scar hydrated! You can use your favorite natural moisturizer like jojoba oil.

Kombucha scoby: Kombucha is a fermented drink that I absolutely love. You can read all about it here. Real kombucha is made with a culture called a scoby. When applied directly to the skin, the scoby can also help skin and tissue rebuild faster and more effectively. I just blended a scoby and let it sit on the scar and wiped it off. I wouldn’t do this on a fresh wound as it will likely sting. (Source 1)

Here is the scoliosis scar post-op

Natalie’s wound healed up quickly and now you can barely notice it. This is the scar at about 6 weeks after surgery.

Pain Management

If there was ever a time for hardcore pain medicine, it’s when you’ve been sliced open and your bones have been purposely broken apart and put back together. But pain medicines (even the Over The Counter ones) have their own potential risks and side effects that you need to consider.

Hardcore Pain Medicines:

The doctors had Natalie taking Percocet immediately after the scoliosis surgery and she was sent home with both Percocet and Oxycodone. In the hospital she was receiving pain relief via her I.V. and was able to control it (to an extent) by pressing a button. The pain was often severe and it took a bit of trial and error during our hospital stay to figure out what combination and timing worked best for Natalie. What we learned was that it was best to stay slightly ahead of the pain, as opposed to “chasing it”. In other words administering the pain relief when her pain was at a 6 instead of waiting for a 9 since it also takes a little while to kick in. At a certain point, however, it’s time to start weaning off and reducing the dose and spacing it as well. This was not easy and we did so while consulting the doc every step of the way.

Advil vs. Tylenol:

NSAID stands for “Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug” and represents a class of drugs which work by stopping inflammation. Common NSAIDs include Advil (ibuprofen) and aspirin.

NSAIDs are great at reducing pain and are not addictive, but there are some concerns about them regarding scoliosis surgery. Evidence shows that NSAIDs might interfere with bone healing. (Source) Some surgeons even recommend avoiding NSAIDs for 3 months after surgery. (Source)

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is another option for reducing pain. It isn’t an NSAID, so shouldn’t interfere with bone healing.

I ran these concerns by our doctor. He wasn’t worried as much about the NSAIDs, but he was worried about the Tylenol (Acetaminophen) being overdosed and the problems that could cause. After much discussion with the doc, we decided to go with both (under his supervision) with the goal to wean Natalie off all pain management as soon as possible.

IMPORTANT NOTE: please consult your doctor before deciding on a pain relief plan. Also note that Percocet CONTAINS acetaminophen so that needs to be taken into account to avoid overdosing.

By the way, our doctor was Dr. Bernstein of Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and I absolutely love him and highly recommend him in the unfortunate case that your loved one needs scoliosis surgery.

Natural Pain Relievers

Pain is caused by inflammation, so anything you can do to reduce inflammation is going to help reduce pain. This is why NSAID medicines work (they don’t actually block pain signals like hardcore meds do, which is why they aren’t addictive).

The flip side of using NSAIDs is that it can slow down recovery since that acute inflammation is the body’s way of treating the injury. Our approach was to ride that line between managing unbearable pain and not over-medicating to the point where the body couldn’t do its job.

There are also plenty of natural anti-inflammatory agents. Some of the ones we used were:

Epsom salt baths (as soon as she was able to be submerged in water she enjoyed them)

Living with a Scar

Even with all the effort we put into reducing Natalie’s scar, she still does have a scar (not surprising considering she had her back completely cut open!). Natalie’s handled this like a champ and hasn’t let it negatively affect her body image. At least not too much.

Most people don’t even notice she has a scar, even when at the beach or other places where her back is revealed. Every once in a while she gets asked about it.

As far as fashion goes, Natalie (now 17 years old) does avoid those low-back shirts which are in style now. Her advice: Instead of showing back, just show some leg instead 😉

Getting Back to Your Normal Life

Natalie was able to recover from her scoliosis surgery with remarkable speed. She even shocked the doctors at how quickly she was able to pull herself out of bed (I attribute this to the fact she had abs of steel from doing Crossfit prior to surgery as well as her pre and pos-op diet, particularly her consumption of gelatin).

Even if you are in incredible shape before the surgery, it is still going to take some time before your life gets back to normal. Be Patient! You won’t heal overnight, but you will heal.

Scoliosis Surgery Recovery Timeline

Here’s what you can expect (as per doctor’s recommendations):

1-2 days after surgery: Patient can get out of bed and walk with assistance

2-3 days after surgery: Patient can start eating more foods without feeling ill

1 week after surgery: Patient can take a shower (only sponge baths before this, in order to keep water off the scar and prevent infection)

3-6 weeks after surgery: Patient can return to school; consider starting with half days and then gradually building up to full days

1-3 months after surgery: Certain movements such as bending, twisting and lifting will be prohibited

3 months after surgery: This is the minimum amount of time required before the patient can return to sports

Remember to have your child listen to their body, go slowly and ask for help as needed. Don’t let them jump right back into activities. Their body needs to rest to heal.

Natalie really enjoyed having her friends come and visit and hang out at home (in the hospital too!). Just having some distraction from the pain was great.

Feeling overwhelmed about scoliosis? Download my eBook for a complete patient’s guide on what is scoliosis and how to treat it. You can buy it here.

Now I’d love to hear from you! Have you or a loved one had scoliosis surgery? What tips would you add for recovery? Please comment below!

Sylvie McCracken is a former celebrity assistant in Hollywood turned full time entrepreneur currently living in Ashland, Oregon with her husband and 3 kids. She writes about treating and preventing health conditions with real food and natural remedies, as well as anything else she feels like writing about because she's a rebel like that. 😉 She also mentors entrepreneurs on her other site, SylvieMcCracken.com

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26 Comments

Lisa SherringSep 18, 2018 @ 20:53:26

Hi there,
Great tips on nutrition. I love bone broth. Unfortunately, my son, who is 15 and about to have back surgery for thoracic idiopathic scoliosis is a vegetarian and has been for over 18 months. Do you have any advice for good nutrition leading up to and after surgery?
Thanks, Lisa

Hi Lisa, I have an entire ebook on scoliosis available on Amazon which includes my nutrition recommendations as well as pre and post op care. https://amzn.to/2zmSKaB
All the best to you and your son!
Sylvie

Thank you so much for this! I am most probably going to get the surgery this summer and I asked if you can bend your back at all after the surgery on your other post (on how to prepare for the surgery) but I also wanted to ask what are the hardest parts after the surgery that I can prepare for?

I have come across your blog at the last minute as I am having my scoliosis surgery in two days. Dec, 12th, 2017. I am 57 and have had this most of my life Only after having a hysterectomy did I begin to have serious back pain. In 2012 my twisted curve was 32 degrees, I started treatment for pain as I was told the curve was not enough for surgery. It is now 47 degrees and I am in continuous pain. I do exercise and weight train even though the next day I may suffer but I have a very strong core and feel that physically I am ready. My surge is from T10 -L5. A big, surgery. I have been told to stay of the internet as most are horror stories. I will be at a teaching hospital in Miami Florida with the Dr who only works on adults with complex scoliosis . So I have confidence in him but I am concerned about these things I read about rods sticking out and severe pain weeks and months after surgery, I pray this is the exception. I have ordered all of the items you suggested to speed healthy recovery
I would love to here from some patients that have had successful surgeries and now living much better lives. I need positive thoughts going into this in just a couple days.
Thanks to anyone that can provide a positive time line for me to plan for for the next several months,
Thank you all for taking your time,
Kimmie-lee

Hi kimmie,
Can you update on your situation? I am 44 years old, originally diagnosed at age 14 with 39°. I am now 51°. The recovery scares me which is why I haven’t done this. However I live in pain everyday. I have severe sciatica and mild stenosis amongst other concerns. Amy insight will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

This is some really great advice, my sister had to go through scoliosis surgery a few years back and that pain afterwords really worked her. However, I do like a lot of the advice you give about what kind of pain medication you should take. After all, you are the person who knows what your body can handle best so you need to carefully look through which medications are available to you before picking one.

I also came across your blog & am thankful. Ordered the bone broth & gelatin that you recommended & planning on making the gummies to take with us to the hospital. My 15 year old son is having T2-L2 fusion in 15 days. Thanks for sharing. Any other tips on what to bring to hospital or have at home?

My daughter is 8 1/2 weeks post op (thoracic fusion) and still can’t sit for longer than 30 minutes without pain. Lying down relieves the pain. Her left shoulder especially hurts. She began PT a few weeks ago and she feels stronger and moves around well. But still she’s not able to return to school. She’s a Senior in HS and we thought she’d be well to return by now. I got excited when I saw your site, but my daughter is a vegetarian and refuses to eat gelatin. She immediately brought out her phone to show me a video of where it comes from. So i’m wondering what is a vegetarian option for bone broth or gelatin? Or is there one? Also, what are your thoughts on vitamin E for the scar or Bio oil? Thank You!

There honestly isn’t a good vegetarian replacement for gelatin and collagen. I’d honestly caution a vegetarian diet for her in particular during her recovery. Some of the reasons why are covered in this post (albeit, I wrote about a vegan diet…) https://hollywoodhomestead.com/vegan-diet-detrimental-health/

Glad she’s vegetarian instead of vegan but she’s still missing quite a few essential nutrients.

I know I’m a little late to read this but I’m going to be getting the spinal fusion surgery. The only thing that I’m concerned about is if a catheter will be in use. I’ve been doing research but nothing turned up to answer my question. I was wondering if you knew what the circumstances are for a catheter to be used?

My son had fusion surgery on Feb 24 th and I can’t Hell but notice his shoulders are uneven now (but they were before hand) and he is leaning to the right (which he didn’t before hand). Did your daughter experience this and if so how long did it take to correct?

I don’t find her leaning per se but her shoulders are still uneven and she’s by no means scoliosis free. Her curve is probably 21 degrees now which is a heck of an in improvement from such a high degree curve before but still not curve free. Make sense? Hope your son is healing quickly! Give him plenty of gelatin and bone broth if you can!

Hello there! I am 25 with a 47 degree curve and am due to have surgery in the next month or so. I was wondering if Natalie feels like the surgery has caused her more pain than before. I keep reading things about people feeling more pain even years after the surgery. I don’t want to have to take pain medication for the rest of my life!!! Thank you!

Hi Kassandra, I just asked her because she happened to be emptying the dishwasher next to me. She says no, she doesn’t have more pain. If anything her pain fluctuates mostly due to whether she’s inactive vs doing some sort of exercise (pilates etc). She feels quite a bit better when she’s been keeping up with her exercise even if just once a week than not. She’s 18 now. Wishing you all the best for your surgery and recovery! -Sylvie

My daughter is 13 and had Scoliosis surgery on December 12th 2016. She was only in the hospital 6 days. After a week on pain meds and valium she started to go over to her grandparents and even went shopping. It was a little over a week ago that she decided to play wall ball with her little sister. This required her to run and throw a ball. She came home in horrible pain. She was having muscle spasms. I called the surgeon Wednesday morning and he called in a muscle relaxer. The first 2 doses worked but she could only have it every 8 hours. She could no longer get out of bed. I called again on Friday and he called in Valium for the spasms. They would come like labor contractions. She was getting no sleep and of course I wasn’t either. I brought her to see her surgeon on Tuesday. I didn’t give her any meds because I wanted him to see what she was going through. Of course she was fine at the appointment. He even told me to send her to school. I know she is not ready for school. The spasms have stopped but she is still in pain. I am definitely going to try your recipes. I just don’t know how to get her some pain relief. She even cries in her sleep. I had this surgery at 18 in the year 2000. I was given a lot of pain medication and became addicted. That’s why I had my daughter have her surgery at 13. I do ice packs. Any other suggestions? I’m worried about her getting knocked into st school and only being able to sit up for 20min at a time. Any suggestions are appreciated!

So glad to find your blog. I am looking to have scoliosis surgery this next year. I’ve living with the pain all my life and am ready to have a better quality of life, and be able to stand straight for the first time in my life. I am still working and am wondering about recovery afterward. I know that everyone heals differently but am wondering about a timeline.

I had my surgery about a year ago and I am still in an immense amount of pain and I can see the bars bulging in my back. I’m scared and don’t know if this is normal and can’t find anything saying it is or isn’t. I take Advil, Motrin, and on occasion a muscle relaxer which helps more than the aspirin or Motrin. My mom thinks I’m overreacting and doesn’t think I should see the doctors but I think I should. I’m scared and a little lost on what’s supposed to be happening with my back and my doctors. Please if anyone could help out clarify something that would be very helpful.
Thank you,
Autum

Autumn,
Thanks so much for being brave enough to speak up. Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, I 100% agree you should see your doctor even if it’s just for the reassurance that everything is ok. Please be careful with all that combo of over the counter meds. I completely understand it eases the pain but please mention it to your docs (especially how much and how often you’re taking them) so that they can advise you on how to avoid adverse effects.
Sending you a huge hug… would love to hear back from you as to how it goes at the doctor’s,
Sylvie

Hi, I had CD rods put in when I was 15… I am now 39… Technology has advanced but the fact is that you still have rods holding your back straighter than it was & keeping your back from eventually killing you bc usually surgery is performed on people who have scoliosis that a brace will not cure but will help until you get your period & then your spinal curvature goes right back to the horrible degree curve that it was before, excersise will help but when it is so bad that you are getting rods as a teen the dr knows that this will help you in the long run??
I can tell you what I did not learn until it was too late… you only have 4 maybe 5 discs below the rods that are not fused… you have the discs above as well but the rods are fusing most of your spine so you are at risk for many issues!
I fell when I was 23 & found out that I had degenerative disc disease in L5/S1… those discs left are taking all of the movements & pressure in ur back!!! Stay physically active!! My parents were so scared of me “hurting my back” that my weak muscles did not protect my back. Do yoga! Keep your core muscles strong by doing pelvic tilts & other excersises and use your core muscles to hold your posture up… not your back! A great way to remind urself that you are slouching is to take ribbon & make a band to go around ur waste, size it up when u r sitting up straight & use a button to put the ribbon through & bring the ribbon back around to the front & tie it … give yourself room to grow by tying a few knots so the button has loops to go in & when u slouch it is a reminder to not. You will notice how many people slouch & u will feel like u need to slouch too but having good posture & strong core muscles will help you throughout your life!
Also, I had & still have issues with bras!!! I was a 34DD when I had surgery & still am. I have found that Victoria’s secrets has adjustable strap bras & I have had to sew a few extra places up front for the hook on the strap but the ones that can be moved along the entire back have been the best. I do have to sew the place on the back where the straps go in bc they are weak & VS is starting to get rid of these bc of the complaints but they are the only bras that I can wear that aren’t constantly falling off one side causing more pain in the top of the right rod. I am trying to purchase them now before they change them all.
Another issue is the pain in general?!?! The top of my right rod sorta sticks out constantly rubbing & causing pain. I hate when someone tries to give me a massage & they hit that spot right after I tell them to not even try?? I can’t move for a few mins bc of the pain. I used to take ORAL steriods (prednisone) at least 2x’s a year for pain & bronchitis… I was also given dexamethasone 1 time… 4 pills a day for 10 days… I NEVER had knee problems… well, luckily I had fallen down steps when I herniated my disc bc I always use the railings… my left knee locked up at the top of some metal stairs at one of my jobs yrs ago & if I wasn’t holding onto the railing I prob would have broken my neck falling. It took a year of PT before my dr gave me an MRI… a week later I was having what was supposed to be 2 small holes turned into a 5 inch cut down my knee bc of an inch in diameter of my femur bone missing & torn to hell… it is called OCD… it was a horrible recovery & I had cartilage removed during this to be grown & had to travel from VA to Boston for the 2nd surgery… but during recovery I found that my right knee had OCD on both sides of my femur as well… bc of that they determined that taking steriods had caused my bones to become brittle & break off. So I do get cortisone injections… I just had RFA in my neck a few months ago due to pain radiating down my arm into my hand. But I will not take oral steriods!!! I was out of work 6 months for each of the knee surgeries.
I have gone through years of pain & tests & PT… If you are scared to get a second opinion don’t be!!! Take care of you! My herniated disc surgery did nothing for the nerve pain down my legs but after my dr told me that I had to learn to live with this horrible pain bc HIS surgury didn’t work I went to a physiatrists who sent me to PT for SI joint disfunction & within a few weeks my pain in my butt & legs went from a 10+ to 8 then 5 and only flares up randomly now & I still do the simple excersises that I was taught!
I try to do yoga & work out. It gets difficult bc I am in chronic pain but I wish that someone told me what to do & what to not do or to be cautious doing? Keep Yourself strong and do core strengthening excersises. There are NOT many adult doctors who focus on scoliosis with rods so I feel lost! Ask your dr as many questions as you can before they can’t see you bc of your age! Ask what excersises to do, make sure you tell them if you still hurt!!! When you leave your dr bc of your age… get all of your records so that you have them for future dr’s or issues…
Sorry so long but I hope that telling my story can help others who had no clue like my family and I.

I’m 15 and I just had my surgery 2 weeks ago. I’m almost out of the Oxycodone and I wanted to find other ways to relieve the pain, and I ended up here!
Was there a considerable time gap until most of the pain went away? I feel like I should be doing more, like ice packs and such, but I’m just not sure.

*check out my scoliosis story on YouTube if you get a chance. Channel: Peace Love Turtlez*

Hang in there Amanda. It’s tricky because the pain is intense but you also don’t want to get dependent on the Oxy. What does your doctor suggest? Please make sure you don’t accidentally O.D. even on the OTC stuff like Advil and Tylenol. Best to you! Sylvie

I came across your blog at the best time! My 13 year old daughter is getting surgery for scoliosis in a week. Your nutrition information is really great. I’m making my own gummies later this week. Thanks for all the helpful advice!

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